Minister praises ‘relentless’ Cairns Police as allegedly stolen car involved in horror crash
Police are trying to trace the occupants of an allegedly stolen vehicle which snapped a power pole in a horrifying smash which cut electricity to Cairns suburbs.
Cairns
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ANOTHER horrifying crash of an allegedly stolen vehicle which caused a suburban power outage on Monday morning has highlighted the dangerous extent of the car crime surge ripping through the Far North.
Ergon Energy crews worked to restore power to 122 homes in Freshwater, Kamerunga and Barron after a car hit a power pole before dawn on Monday. Police are trying to trace the occupants of the car, which was found abandoned.
A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokesman said they were called about 4.30am on March 21 to the crash on Lower Freshwater Rd, Kamerunga.
He said the car hit the pole, “so hard that it snapped it 3m from the ground.”
Cairns District Crime Prevention Senior Constable Heidi Marek said officers were worried that young criminals behind the wheel were a risk to the wider community.
“The fact a lot of the time these stolen cars are being driven by young juveniles who are inexperienced and not able to drive properly in these high-powered cars,” she said.
“It is of particular concern, given their inexperience and the danger they pose to other road users.”
Senior Constable Marek said despite the tragic death of a Cairns teen in an allegedly stolen car last month, the number of vehicle thefts had increased with 93 vehicle thefts reported stolen as of March 21.
This adds up to 272 vehicles stolen in the Cairns area this year – averaging three cars stolen each day.
She urged people to lock up their cars, secure their homes and consider installing CCTV.
“We have quite a number of vehicles being stolen left unlocked and sadly, with keys left inside them,” she said.
“A combination of police operations, tactical crime squad, property crime squad and our general duties officers are working tirelessly to combat juvenile crime.”
But she said residents should not become vigilantes.
“We certainly do not recommend people take these types of things into their own hands,” she said.
A Cairns Police spokesperson said “overall youth offending and the amount of youth offenders has decreased dramatically over the years, but unfortunately there is a small cohort of offenders who continue to offend.”
Police Minister Mark Ryan said Cairns Police had made “relentless efforts to keep the community safe”.
“The Cairns Youth Co-Responder team has since the start of the year, actively engaged with 317 young people, and conducted 355 engagements with support agencies as part of bail checks and bail compliance,” Mr Ryan said.
“Operation Dryandra, resulted in the arrest of 187 juveniles and 124 adults on 1,445 charges.
“So far this year, 32 juveniles and 36 adults have been remanded in custody.”
“Investigative crime units focus on crime clear-ups and target recidivist youth offenders using search warrants, forensics and covert operations.”
Police data revealed that in 2021, 782 vehicles were reported stolen, up from 542 in 2020, in 2019 659 vehicles were stolen, up 100 from 2018
You can report information on stolen cars to Policelink on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or crimestoppersqld.com.au
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